Life On Mars is getting a Chinese remake

Life On Mars, the BBC’s beloved time-travel/cop show, is set to receive yet another remake: Spain, Russia, the Czech Republic and South Korea have already had their own remakes, and now a Chinese version is on the way. We’ve got all the details here.

The original series, which ran for two seasons before spawning a sequel entitled Ashes To Ashes, starred John Simm as a modern-day police officer who awoke in the 1970s after an accident.

And now, BBC Studios has signed a deal with Phoenix Entertainment to produce a version of the show in Mandarin. This remake will send a modern-day Chinese cop back to 1990s Beijing. The series does not have a broadcaster attached yet, with Variety pegging it as a likely contender for the streaming service treatment.

David Weiland, EVP Asia for BBC Studios, said this about the deal:

“I am delighted that our first partnership with Phoenix Entertainment Group is ‘Life on Mars,’ which ranks as one of the best dramas to come out of the UK. We have a huge range of high-quality scripted titles from ‘Doctor Foster’ and ‘Luther’ to ‘Thirteen’ and ‘In the Club,’ shows that would captivate Chinese audiences.”

Clearly, the Beeb is keen to get more remakes of its iconic shows out of the gate. There is also a Chinese version of ITV’s Broadchurch in the works.

As we hear more about this interesting trend, we’ll be sure to let you know.